Energy-absorbing vehicle barrier system

ABSTRACT

An energy-absorbing vehicle barrier system is provided. The energy-absorbing vehicle barrier system provides a series of spaced apart barrier units, wherein adjacent barrier units are interconnected by a cable linkage, enabling the modularity that limits damage to the barrier system and facilitates segmented replacement. Each barrier unit provides a vertically spaced apart net of longitudinal cables, each longitudinal cable terminates adjacent the opposing end faces of its barrier unit in the form of a loop, protruding through the end face. The resulting column of spaced apart loops nest with the adjacent barrier unit&#39;s column of spaced apart loops in an aligned configuration so that a pin secures both sets of columns, providing the cable linkage. The barrier units are made from no fine concrete that crumbles upon collision so as to absorb energy. The system sits on a substructure also adapted to absorb the energy of a high-speed collision.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vehicle barriers and, more particularly, an energy-absorbing vehicle barrier system for bringing an out of control vehicle to a stationary position.

An out of control vehicle needs to be brought to a safe stop with the least possible amount of danger to its occupants, other road users, and property.

Current vehicular barrier systems are often solid, immovable structures utilizing barrier rails and/or high strength cables. The solid barrier rail systems will resist an out of control vehicle, but by the same token can cause imminent danger to the vehicle's occupants. Cable rail barrier systems, using high strength cables are problematic because the cables are too flexible. This flexibility allows the vehicle to wedges itself between and slide along the cables, which can slice apart the vehicle and its occupants. Often the flexibility causes the cables to act like elastic bands, flinging the vehicle back into passing vehicles lanes.

Furthermore, solid barrier rail and cable rail system, when destroyed, take a great deal of time to be replaced because, among other reasons, there are multiple posts that have to be extracted and replaced by a pile driving vehicle. This delay endangers other road users for as long as the barrier system is out of commission. Given that many barrier collisions are due to long-standing dangerous road conditions, as evidenced by barrier rails repeatedly being hit in the same area, the more time it takes to replace a portion of a vehicle barrier, the more likelihood of a tragedy. Additionally, most barrier systems are designed such that a vehicle will slide along it, therefore damaging a long section thereof, further lengthening the repair time.

As can be seen, there is a need for an energy-absorbing vehicle barrier system designed to arrest an out of control vehicle's movement in the safest, shortest possible distance, thereby preventing unintentional harm to the passengers and passing vehicles, while limiting the sections of barrier destroyed. The present invention embodies barrier units linked together, enabling quick replacement of a damaged section. Each unit is free standing and has its own individual mass and cables, yet when linked to adjacent units, act as a continuous rail system. The units destroyed will only be as many as required to match the vehicles mass and momentum. And the time that a delivery vehicle is in the roadway to replace a damaged section of these units, is only as long as it takes to load the damaged units and unload the replacement units into position.

A vehicle colliding with the barrier rail system embodied by the present invention has a great deal of its impact energy absorbed by the structure and sub-structure. The structure is adapted to crumble under the impact force and together with the cables and substructure of selected loose stone, absorb the kinetic energy of the vehicle, robbing the vehicle of its velocity and thereby causing it to be brought to a stationary position. The cables form short links and therefore are easily replaceable and their divergent movement is purposefully restricted by the no-fines concrete so as to strengthen the cables and reduce the elasticity of the linked units, and so the cables act as numerous nets with strands designed to break under excessive loads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle barrier system including the following: two or more barrier units interconnectable by a cable linkage; each barrier unit having: an upper portion and connected base portion of cementitious material, the upper portion having a length defined by two opposing end faces; and a plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables extending a substantial portion of said length, wherein each longitudinal cable terminates in a loop protruding from at least one of the two end faces so that said one of the two end faces provides a column of spaced apart loops in an aligned condition, wherein two columns of spaced apart loops from adjacent barrier units, respectively, are interconnectable in a nested condition.

In another aspect of the present invention, the vehicle barrier system includes the following: two or more barrier units interconnectable by a cable linkage; each barrier unit having: an upper portion and connected base portion of cementitious material, the upper portion having a length defined by two opposing end faces, wherein the cementitious material is no fines concrete; a plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables extending a substantial portion of said length, wherein each longitudinal cable terminates in a loop protruding from at least one of the two end faces so that said one of the two end faces provides a column of spaced apart loops in an aligned condition, wherein two columns of spaced apart loops from adjacent barrier units, respectively, are interconnectable in a nested condition; a matrix of concrete reinforcement embedded in each base portion, each matrix of concrete reinforcement disposed orthogonal relative to the plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables; and one or more binding wire, each binding wire having two opposing binding loops, wherein one of the two opposing binding loops engages a portion of the matrix of concrete reinforcement and the other binding loop protrudes through an upper surface of the upper portion; a linkage pin receivable through said two columns of spaced apart loops in the nested condition so as to provide said cable linkage; and an aggregate bed of graded aggregate rounded stone ranging from three-quarters inch to one inch, wherein the two or more barrier units are supported by the aggregate bed.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a barrier tie system of the present invention'

FIG. 4 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is an end view of an exemplary embodiment of a barrier of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 9, the present invention may provide a vehicle barrier system embodying a plurality of barrier units 10 and/or 12 spaced apart from each other yet serially interconnected by a cable linkage 60. Each barrier unit 10, 12 has a cable netting 90 coupled to an adjacent cable linkage 60. The vehicle barrier system utilizes a substructure providing aggregate of predetermined particularity to additionally absorb energy of a vehicle colliding with one of the barrier units 10 or 12.

The barrier units 10 and 12 may be formed from cementitious material 40 by way of a mold (not shown) to take the shapes shown in the Figures. Typically, a barrier unit 10 or 12 has an upper portion 70 or 72 and an outwardly tapering base portion 80 or 82 providing a wider footing area. A matrix of concrete reinforcement 42 may be disposed just upward from the bottom of the base portions 80 and 82.

The middle barrier units 12 have a plurality of longitudinal cables 28 extending through the length of the upper portion 72, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The longitudinal cables 28 may be galvanized, corrosion-protected high-tensile steel wires. The longitudinal cables 28 may be bound together with vertically oriented binding wires 44 to form a cable net 90. The cable net 90 may be cast within the cementitious material 40 inside that of a designed barrier rail mold (not shown). When the cementitious material 40 has cured, the mold is removed and the cementitious material 40 covered with a protective coating 34. The concrete protective coating 34 can vary depending on manhandling and road conditions.

Each vertically oriented binding wire 44 may terminate in opposing vertical loops 14, wherein the upper vertical loop 14 is adapted for assisting in lifting the barrier unit, and wherein the lower vertical loop 14 may engage the concrete reinforcement 42 of the base portion 82. After placement of the barrier units 10 or 12, the eyelet portion of the upper vertical loops 14 may provide reflectors 46.

Referring to FIG. 8, each opposing end of the longitudinal cables 28 may terminate in a middle loop 56 supported by cable thimbles 26, wherein the middle loops 56 protrude from respective opposing faces 76 of the upper portion 72. The plurality of middle loops 56 may align so that the openings align in a vertical column of spaced apart middle loops 56, as seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 6 and 9.

Embedded in the upper portion 72, just inward of each opposing face 76, a cable hourglass sleeve 32 may also support the securement of each loop 56. A terminus of each longitudinal cable 28 may have a button stop 50 to prevent that terminus from sliding through the cable hourglass sleeve 32. The cable hourglass sleeve 32, the terminus, and the button stop 50 may be embedded within the upper portion 72.

Referring to FIG. 4, the end barrier units 10 may be similarly shaped as the middle unit 12, except one end face 74 has an end upper portion 70 that widens as it approaches the end face 74, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The end base portion 80 may also have an upwardly expanding profile as it approaches said end face74. A standard visibility road warning sign W23-10L or W23-10R panel 16 may be connected to this end face 74 by way of fasteners 18 and 30, such as anchor nuts and bolts. An opposing face 76, similar to the opposing face 76 of the middle barrier units 12, may be provided by the end barrier unit 10 opposite of the end face 74. The opposing face 76 may also provide a vertical column of spaced apart middle loops 56, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

As a result, the vertical columns of middle loops 56 of two adjacent barrier units 10 or 12 may be engaged so that one set of middle loops 56 slides into the spaces between the other set of middle loops 56, whereby the openings of both sets of middle loops 56 align; similar to the knuckles of a, say, door hinge, and like such a hinge the spaced apart but interconnected adjacent barrier units 10 and 12 can move relative to its adjacent partner about the cable linkage 60. In such an alignment, a pin 24 may be slid therethrough and secured on both end by cap fasteners 22 and washers 48, forming the cable linkage 60. The cable linkage system pin 24 may include of an outer chamber 24 incapsulating rebar 52 and grout 54 by caps 22, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8.

The site 36 is prepared by excavating a trench, in certain embodiments, six inches deep below the proposed position of the barrier rails 10, 12 with two feet on each travel-way side. High density plastic sheeting 20 may be placed in the bottom and sides of the trench and back filled with selected graded aggregate 38. Each selected, graded aggregate 38 may include rounded stone ranging from ¾″ to 1″ in a horizontal bed of a combined mass that will resist the moving mass of the vehicle. The adhesion properties of the no-fines concrete in units 10 and 12 may include rounded stone aggregate ranging from ¼″ to ¾″ and may be destroyed during impact, causing the thousands of rounded, graded aggregate to absorb the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle through conversion in the form of momentum to their individual mass.

The barrier units 10 and 12 are transported to the site 36 and lifted into position by way of the upper vertical loops 14. The barrier units 10 and 12 are then linked together in series via the cable linkage 90, forming a continuous rail in the desired position of the road reserve. The reflectors 46 may then be placed on each unit 10, 12.

The steel wire cable net 90 within the barrier rail unit and the cable linkages 90 resist the tensile forces caused by the impact. The cable linkages 90 cause the string of barrier units 10 and 12 to act as one continuous yet segmented barrier rail and net. The no fines concrete that makes up the units 10 and 12 resists the compressive forces caused by the impact, absorbing the collision energy. The protective coat on the steel wire and the cover coating 34 on the concrete, protect them from manhandling and corrosion.

Barrier rail molding and casting of the units can be outsourced to a specialized prefabricated concrete manufacturing enterprise such as those who manufacture standard reinforced barrier rail, storm water pipes and box culverts. The design may be adapted to meet the needs in the field depending on what is to be protected; for instance, as a crash cushion, bridge and other structure protection, tie into other guardrail types, etc.

A method of using the present invention may include the following. The vehicle barrier system disclosed above may be provided. A user may employ the barrier units 10, 12 in the median between opposing traffic lanes on highways and freeways. These areas would be where double rail galvanized steel guard rails or cable barrier rails are normally used and at the approaches to obstructions such as bridges, sign posts etc. However, the present invention can also be used as a crash cushion and be placed where a normal galvanized steel guard rail would protect a steep side slope embankment or that of a drainage structure etc. These barrier units 10,12 can be placed wherever guardrail would provide more protection than leaving a dangerous condition exposed to traffic.

The barrier units 10, 12 may be sold and stock piled in easily accessible strategic locations such as that of DOT supply yards or interchanges near high accident rated areas. Flatbed trucks outfitted with a crane lifting unit may be used to load, transport and replace the amount of barrier units 10, 12 required at an accident site while standard traffic control measures are been implemented. This can be undertaken immediately while the crashed vehicle is being removed subject to the availability of an implemented program.

The chain link pins 24 will be removed allowing the damaged units to be loaded and the replacement units slid into position. The chain linkages 60 are then formed again to be installed allowing the barrier system again to function as one continuous unit. After the fact, repair operation could be undertaken with standard practices used during road construction and repair work. There may be a cleanup operation to remove all debris from site, in particular any loose stones on the roadway that will prove to be a hazard to other road users. All damaged reflectors 46 may be replaced and the stone base and PVC should be re-leveled/replaced during this operation if necessary.

Additionally, the barrier units 10 or 12 can be used (with minor alterations) to prevent erosion by wind or water due to the properties of the no fines concrete.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

1. A vehicle barrier system, comprising: two or more barrier units interconnectable by a cable linkage; each barrier unit having: an upper portion and connected base portion of no-fines cementitious material, the upper portion having a length defined by two opposing end faces; and a plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables extending a substantial portion of said length, wherein each longitudinal cable terminates in a loop protruding from at least one of the two end faces so that said one of the two end faces provides a column of spaced apart loops in an aligned condition, wherein two columns of spaced apart loops from adjacent barrier units, respectively, are interconnectable in a nested condition.
 2. The vehicle barrier system of claim 1, further comprising a linkage pin receivable through said two columns of spaced apart loops in the nested condition so as to provide said cable linkage.
 3. (canceled)
 4. The vehicle barrier system of claim 1, wherein the no fines cementitious material comprises rounded stone aggregate ranging from one-quarter inch to three-quarter inch diameter.
 5. The vehicle barrier system of claim 1, further comprising: a matrix of concrete reinforcement embedded in each base portion, each matrix of concrete reinforcement disposed orthogonal relative to the plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables; and one or more binding wire, each binding wire having two opposing binding loops, wherein one of the two opposing binding loops engages a portion of the matrix of concrete reinforcement and the other binding loop protrudes through an upper surface of the upper portion.
 6. The vehicle barrier system of claim 1, further comprising an aggregate bed of graded aggregate comprising rounded stones ranging from three-quarters inch to one inch in diameter, wherein the two or more barrier units are supported by the aggregate bed, and wherein the aggregate bed extends beyond both sides of a footing area of the base portion by at least a foot on each side thereof.
 7. A vehicle barrier system, comprising: two or more barrier units interconnectable by a cable linkage; each barrier unit having: an upper portion and connected base portion of no-fines cementitious material, the upper portion having a length defined by two opposing end faces; a plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables extending a substantial portion of said length, wherein each longitudinal cable terminates in a loop protruding from at least one of the two end faces so that said one of the two end faces provides a column of spaced apart loops in an aligned condition, wherein two columns of spaced apart loops from adjacent barrier units, respectively, are interconnectable in a nested condition; a matrix of concrete reinforcement embedded in each base portion, each matrix of concrete reinforcement disposed orthogonal relative to the plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinal cables; and one or more binding wire, each binding wire having two opposing binding loops, wherein one of the two opposing binding loops engages a portion of the matrix of concrete reinforcement and the other binding loop protrudes through an upper surface of the upper portion; a linkage pin receivable through said two columns of spaced apart loops in the nested condition so as to provide said cable linkage; and an aggregate bed of graded aggregate rounded stone ranging from three-quarters inch to one inch, wherein the two or more barrier units are supported by the aggregate bed, wherein the aggregate bed extends beyond both sides of a footing area of the base portion by at least a foot on each side thereof.
 8. The vehicle barrier system of claim 7, wherein the no-fines cementitious material comprises rounded stone aggregate ranging from one-quarter inch to three-quarter inch diameter. 